Brownsville herald. [volume], April 28, 1929, Page SIX, Image 6

About Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current

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[. T. Stuart Tells
Position on Port
And Flays Critics
I Stuart, Harlingen and Val
iloper, has addressed the
g communication to “the
ople of Harlingen and the
mde Valley”:
thought that I would not
my critics but since reading
cle from our good neighbor,
J. Carpenter of Rio Hondo,
lizing more fully the mis
inding of a great number of
d people of the Harlingen
lity as to my position on
iys, I am forced to write
;icle in order to make my
clear.
e outset, I must say that it
lecessary for me to state my
to those who have worked
; and know my attitude to
waterways, because they
lat I am for every con
e development program, and
and all programs that will
our Valliy. I am for deep
and I am for the Intra
Canal, and for every other
ment program that will
any street of our commun
rmit me to state that I am
own side of the street first
■ my own back yard first,
am permitted with my own
,o exterminate all poison ivy
rings up around my back
Permit me to state further
consider this Valley as a
as one big community, and
imposed of the best people
h. I think I can make the
nt without contradiction
« citizenship of our Valley
lole ranks higher than that
other community in the
States, and we have more
ding citizens, thinking peo
ple who do things, than any
ommunity in the United
You have only to make a
the Vailto realize the
>f these statements. I am
o be a citizen of such a
nity and I am also proud to
ayed some little part in the
ment of such a community,
ne is here, and I expect al
i be here.
Valley Needs Unity
different towns in the Val
only residential centers,
; comes down to the real
s this Valley is one big city,
rests and its purposes must
to succeed. It cannot be
It is isolated from the
the world by what might be
semi-arid or desert country,
s no community in the Val
t can prosper without af
every other community of
alley. Any prosperity at
ville is reflected at Mis
dinburg, Rio Grande City,
the way down the seventy
les of main street,
proud of my friends of Rio
City, of Edinburg, of Ray
Ue, of Brownsville, and of
sabel, and of all other parts
Valley. I am also prcwd of
v enemies that I have, I
try to please my friends, but
enemies I ask no ground
e none. If they can show
I
me where I am wrong on any pro-:
gram, I will gladly join them. I!
want it thoroughly understood that
I court the friendship of every hon
est man and woman in the entire
Valley, whether he be rich or poor,
to the contrary notwithstanding.
Lack Understanding
The only difference among the
people of the Valley on the water
proposition today is the lack of un
derstanding. A few people have
spread poison, lied about the true
condition of things and also lied
about the position of those lead
ers who have advocated the con
structive development of our wa
terways program. These few peo
ple have spread the poison and
caused good citizens, like our
neighbor Mr. Carpenter, at Rio
Hondo, to be misieu, which is in
deed regrettable. It is too bad
that some people in life live on sus
picion and are always ready to
spread false reports, make false
statements in order to gain some
selfish end, or God knows what. Na
tions and communities have risen
and faJJen through the history of
time. Greece fell when she lost
her trust in the humanistic Deities
of Olympus. Rome fell with her
faith no doubt blinded by supersti
tion, and blind superstition is today
dividing the little town of Harlin
gen in a way that is lamentable.
Now. let us get to the funda
mental reasons, or causes, of my
position on waterways for this Val
ley, remembering at all times that
we must deal with the United
States government, for waterways
are government problems and at
any tame that any community un
dertakes to finance a waterways
program of such gigantic propor
tions as this Valley is advocating,
that community will be bankrupted
if it undertakes to tax its people to
construct and maintain it.
Whenever a local community be
gins to dig channels and maintain
-hem, it is going to create a tax
burden that will bankrupt it and
it will find its people moving away,
just as I have seen people move out
of towns on account of taxes. I
know' of certain interests that have
a desire to build in Harlingen, but
who are waiting to see the outcome
of this problem, because they rea
ize that if the community under
takes to dig and maintain a channel
as has been stated will be done,
the taxes will be so high that they
will want to build elsewhere. The
taxes of Harlingen have been re
duced by the able management of
city affairs, until today it is a verv
attractive field to the investor, and
I do not believe the good people
of Harlingen will permit bond is
sues to bankrupt them, but the
community is now one of the worst
torn up communities that I know
of and it has all been caused by
a few people spreading lies and false
reports. Many good people have been
misled and misguided, and were it
not for the few spreading these lies,
the Valley as a whole would be be
hind the waterways program fi
nancially and all would be contrib
uting their part, but they, cannot
be blamed when a few people start
out w'ith the statement that they
are going to kill this town, or that
own, or any other town or com
muniy, and try to build at the ex
pense of their neighbors.
Studius Motives
I am thinking aloud, friends, In
the discussion of this matter, and
it is time for all the people of Har
lingen to think aloud. Sometimes
it is necessary to make our friends
angry in order to bring them to their
right senses.
When the counsel of anyone is
sought regarding the expenditure of
money to bring permanent results,
it has always been my policy to
check up on the man who is advis
ing the expenditure of the money
and to see what financial success
he has made in life, whether he is
seeking to get a job at a good big
salary at the peoples’ expense, or
whether he is willing to serve the
community in a philanthropic way
without compensation. These are
matters worth considering.
I do not know of any port on
the gulf coast where the commis
sioners are drawing a salary, and
men that serve on the commission
as commissioners of port develop
ment, who are not in position to
render public service without com
pensation, should not accept such
positions, because all money expend
ed on the waterways program is a
donation toward a public develop
ment. I want to commend the com
missioners court of Cameron coun
ty for eliminating the salaries of
the Harlingen navigation district.
There has been more than $25,000
practically wasted already and if
the program had not been checked,
it would all have been wasted by
this time. If the Harlingen naviga
tion district wants to bond itself
for $5,000,000 and create a main
tenance fund of several hundred
thousand dollars a year without any
direct income from the investment,
and if it is able financially to do
this, then I have nothing more to
say, but when I know that it is not
able to do this, that it is a young
community and already our taxes
are heavy enough, and that if you
will check up on the men who are
trying to waste this money, find
how much taxes they are paying
and then decide as to whether or
not you want to be guided by their
advice in the expenditure of several
millions of dollars, the result will be
tnat you wUl not waste your half
million dollars in the present bond
issue. The people will refuse to vote
any more bends and then you will
have a few rocks dumped in the
ocean, a channel built that will be
siiied ui the first overflow and no
money to keep it dredged, but if
the government builds our channel
and maintains it, there will be
enough for us to do to assist the
government in building and main
taining our wharves, and all you
have to'do to convince yourself of
this fact is to get on the train and
go to Corpus Christi, to Houston or
to any other port in the United
States, and find out for yourself
what it costs to do these things, then
check up on your ability to pay and
you will reach the right conclusion.
National Proposition
The waterways program that is in
the minds of thoes who have fos
tered it is not a local proposition.
It is a national proposition. We
feel that the entire nation, as well
as ourselves, will benefit from this
waterways program. When we con
nect ourselves with 16.000 miles of
inland waterways, with the other
rivers of the north, those communi
ties will benefit the same as we in
the lower Rio Grande Valley.
We are merely a link in the chain
of the great national program,
therefore, it is a national problem
and the expense of it should be
borne by the national government
as a service to its citizenship. Our
local community should assist the
government in every possible way,
and we will then have enough to do
in building wharves and docks, and
securing the rights of way. It is
up to us to convince the government
that our link in the chain is an im
portant link and it will take our link
to complete the chain, which will
not only add to our great trans
portation facilities but will be used
as a great asset in national de
fense. This is our inland waterway.
Our deep waterway when com
pleted will open up our products to
the seven seas, but what we need
now most of all, as I see it, is the
opening up of our own trade terri
tory to the middle states, where we
sell most of our products, as our
percentage of produce tnat will go
on the seas is very limited at this
time, but if we can get the govern
ment behind our waterways pro
gram and in due season get the
government to give us thirty feet
of water to any part of the Valley,
that is what we need. Personally, I
had rather see that thirty feet of
waterway built up the Arroyo Colo
rado to the Missouri Pacific
bridge, but in dealing with the
United States government and the
National Board of Engineers, we
must eliminate selfishnyss and go
to them on a broad service basis,
service for our entire Valley, taking
into consideration the judgment of
the government engineers, and
whenever this waterway program is
finally completed it will be a mat
ter for the government engineers to
decide as to which location is the
most practical.
The entire Valley joined hands at
one time for the deep water port
at Point Isabel. The government
approved that program, and set
out certain conditions with which
to be complied. Now, for the citi
zens of the Valley to try to reverse
the opinion of the entire govern
mental machinery is a very danger
out program for our Valley as <*
whole. Any sound thinking man
who will study the problems we
have to meet, the conditions we
have to meet, who will lay aside
all prejudices and selfish interests,
is bound to realize and come to j
the one conclusion that we had
better get what we can from the
government and not try to destroy
the work cf the past thirty years on
the program that has been outlined
and cn which all wers united .
Secs Harlingen Harbor
I feel that the program that the j
leaders have in mind will in time j
bring a thirty foot channel to the '
Missouri Pacific bridge, and it will j
be my purpose to work for that i
program as I have always done.
The only differences among the
thinking people of Harlingen today,
when the facts are known, are in
the method or line of procedur.
They are all working for the same
goal, but unfortunately a few are j
spreading poison and trying to de
stroy what the others are doing. Al
most all of the people who are tak
ing this position are honest in their
views, but misguided by the few
who are scattering the poison and
misrepresenting the position of cer
tain leaders in the program. What
the Harlingen community does will
nave very little effect on the final
results of this program, especially
as long as they are torn up and di
verted as they are at the present
time. The program will be carried
on in a constructive way, regard
less of the efforts of the few who
are trying to mislead the good peo
ple. Naturally this is very annoy
ing, but you have seen these red
ants and possibly a big Arab stal
lion being stung by one of these
ants. He stomps his foot somewhat
annoyed, but in a few minutes the
ant is forgotten, and he goes on
his way, and the ant passes out of
existence. The same applies to
those who are scattering poison
among the good people. They will
have their day and will tear up
the community for a time, but the
good people will soon realize the
truth, get together and be happy
again as in the old days.
Admires Sarpcntcr
I admire Mr. Carpenter of Rio
Hondo for his statement that he is
for Rio Hondo first, last, and all
of the time. He would not be the
right kind of man or citizen if he
did not take this stand. I appre
ciate such citizens as neighbors
and I want Mr. Carpenter to know
that I am for Rio Hondo also. Nat
urally. I am for my own back yard
first, however, I will do anything
m my power to assist in the build
ing of Rio Hondo as'long as it does
not destroy something in my cum
back. I do not believe in de
stroying anything of value. I am
not willing to destroy Rio Hondo
to build some other locality and I
am not willing to destroy some
other locality to build Rio Hondo.
Let us all build and grow together
There is room for all of us and we
will have one big city from Browns
vine to Mission. This is going to
be whether or not these destroyers
keep on with their work. There
are too many good people in th**
Rio Grande Valley to listen very
long to scatterers of poison ivy be
cause when a man gets in the ivv
once he watches his step very
closely thereafter, and when he
gees after grapes he climbs the
tree that has no poison iw
about it. *
Wants Deep Water
It is unfortunate indeed that the
few who feed on suspicion are
among us, but almost every com
munity has them, so let us bs char
itable with them and see if we canj
clean their hands and doctor their
wounds and it may be that we can
make good citizens of them. Our
neighbor. Mr. Carpenter, is the kind
of man to help do this. He is an
outstanding man in his community
and is honest and sincere in his
purpose. His article shows his sin
cerity, and when any man is against
me and honest about it, I never fall
out with that man, but only try to
show him where he is wrong. Judg
ing from the fairness and honesty
of Mr. Carpenter, I believe that
when he has all of the facts and the
truth about my position, that he
will be big enough to correct any
errors he has made through mis
judging me, for he has certainly
been laboring under a false appre
hension.. I have been interested in
waterways since I was a boy. The
Honorable Presley K. Ewing of
Houston sold me on waterways for
the constructive development of our
natioin when he delivered his great
speech, which will go down in his
tory as masterpiece, in 1898 at the
Trans- Mississippi Convention at
Wichita, Kansas, and since that
time I have been a strong advocate
of ports on our Gulf Coast country.
I am for every port on the Gulf
Coast Country from the mouth ofj
the Mississippi to the mouth of the
Rio Grande.
I want to see a deep water port
in our Valley and when I say this
I mean a thirty foot channel that
will give us service. I had just as
soon have nine feet of water as six
teen, except as a stepping stone to
the thirty foot channel, because
nine feet of water will give us about
the same service as a sixteen foot
channel will give us. I could go
into the details and tell you why but
space will not permit. It is easy
for you to find out.
For All of Valley
You must remember that when a
community puts money in water
ways it is an investment from which
there will be no income to the In
vidual who pays the taxes, except
that he plays a part in the con
structive development of his com
munity. No community can afford
to bankrupt itself to build a water
way. That is the reason that the
government has taken it upon itself
to spend hundreds of millions of
dollars throughout the nation in the
•^1^—-- -
development of waterways. It is
considered a national problem and
only the national government can
cope with it.
Let us all get in our hearts the
one desire to assist one another in
a neighborly way and let us all be
neighbors with one another in the
neighborly sense of the word. Let
us build instead of destroying, be
cause one community cannot build
at the expense of the other and get
very far. but we can all build to
gether all the way from Brownsville
to Mission and we will all be happy
and prosper. Our Valley will be a
happy place in which to live, and
the outside world will want to come
and live with us. Think it over.
I would be lax in my duty did I
not commend the citizens of
Brownsville and of San Benito in
their efforts to save the port for the
Valley, and I congratulate them, for
it is the duty of the Valley as a
whole and especially of Cameron
county to prorate the government
requirement.
My heart is full of appreciation
of my friends in the Valley and of
the wonderful cooperation that they
have given men during all of these
years in my humble efforts In be
half of the Valley as a whole, and I
want to thank my friends from
Brownsville to Rio Grande City for
their splendid cooperation in my
every undertaking.
Believe me, sincerely yours for the
constructive development of the
Valley as a whole.
R. T. STUART.
Church Group To
Hold Convention
At Hargil Sunday
(Special to The Herald)
HARGILL. April 27.—A regional
convention of Mexican Presbyter
ian Sunday schools of the Valley
was to be held here Sunday.
A program has been worked out
and all members of the organiza
tion have been invited to the con
vention.
The program, will open at 9:30
a. m. with a hymn and devotional
service by Rev. B. Fernandez. Oth
er features during the morning in
clude a talk on “Bien Venida” by
Miss Olivia Espinosa. Sunday school
directed by Rev. A. L. Martinez
and a sermon by Rev. J. M. Vaz
quez.
After an interval for lunch, the
session will get under way again
with a hymn at 2 p. m. Devotional
services will be conducted by Rev.
Zenon Moraida and a sermon by
Rev. A. L. Martinez.
VALLEY GRAPEFRUIT
TOO HIGH, IS CHARGE
To The Herald:
We read with mingled rage and
amusement of the asking and get
•
tiny seventy-five cents per half
portion for small Valley grapefruit
in a northern hotel but I believe
we have Just cause for wrath when
right here in our own town small
grapefruit are today selling for $1
per dozen and about cull size at
that. How can we expect this town
to be safe for prohibition officers
and paving contractors if $1 per
dozen is asked for our own grape
fruit? Hoping you are the same.
Very truly yours,
“GROUCH.”
NEW YORK.—Mayor Walker
has 60 walking sticks. Paul White
man has 24 dress suits.
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CAREER ENDED
Plans for a newspaper career
and for her marriage in May
are over for Miss Cecelia Kelly,
23, of Kansas City, Mo., one of
the victims of the mid-air crash
between a passenger ship and
an army pursuit plane at San
Diego, Cal., in which six met
death. Miss Kelly, a member
of the staff of a Phoenix, Ariz.,
newspaper, w’as to wed a Den
ver newspaperman next month.
Special Sale
Monday to Saturday
April 29 to Ma£4
Discount on
Ladies’ Purses and Artificial
Flowers
Betty Lee and Ramona Wash dresses. Reg- (M OQ
ular $1.98 values, now.. . .. . .vLuJ
Circular woolen skirts. (PO OQ
We Have Just Received a New Shipment
of Bathing Suits
The French Shoppe
1250 Elizabeth St. — Phone 1331 — Browsville, Texas
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4.